A short summary of Kerri`s research:

I am a lecturer in Clinical Anatomy and my research involves investigating and describing structures that vary from the 'normal' anatomy (known as anatomical variations), ethics as it relates to anatomical teaching and research, and postgraduate education in anatomy. It is important for healthcare workers to know about variations that may be present in an individual patient, as some variations may increase the risk of complication or error during procedures. My research is undertaken on donated bodies and on scans from patients. It involves describing the anatomy present in an individual, followed by determining the range and prevalence of variations within a research sample, as well as the normal range of sizes of particular structures. This information is relevant to healthcare workers and biomedical engineers who are designing and developing new medical devices. I have a special interest in ethical topics in anatomy which mainly relate to the treatment of the body. I am currently busy with my PhD on this topic. I am also involved with research into postgraduate teaching and learning in anatomical sciences. I facilitate the legal and ethical module, as well as journal club, and I am interested in how and what students learn within these modules, and how they apply what they have learnt to their research projects. I obtain this information via free-text feedback forms, interviews and reflection assignments, which are then analysed for common and unique themes.

Research for Impact is one of the core strategic themes in SU`s Vision 2020. How does your research relate to that?

My research investigates anatomical variations in a South African sample in order to provide healthcare workers in South Africa with information that is relevant to the context in which they work. Many medical devices and surgical approaches have been designed and developed in high income countries based on anatomical information from their populations. There may be a mismatch between these approaches and devices and the needs of the South African population. As the local production of medical devices is increasing, it is important to provide information about the range of anatomical variation that is present in our population, as studies have shown variation to be different among different geographical areas. Healthcare workers should also be aware of which variations they are more likely to encounter and use this information in their pre-procedural planning. My teaching and research focuses on postgraduate anatomical education at Stellenbosch University. While postgraduate anatomical science education in general is understudied in the global literature, research into teaching and learning approaches within South Africa may assist with designing our postgraduate curriculum in anatomy and implementing effective teaching and learning approaches for our students.

In the ever-changing environment of academia, what are some of the obstacles early career researchers are faced with?

-          Time

-          Funding

-          Balancing teaching vs research requirements            

What would you regard as the most important aspects to consider to effectively support early career researchers?            

Their teaching and administrative load should be determined carefully to enable them to devote time to their research. In my discipline, we have a heavy teaching load as anatomy is a basic science required by all healthcare workers, and it is difficult for us to protect time for our research. Mentorship is also important. I think structured activities such as writing retreats will also help researchers to dedicate time to their research.

What excites you about your work?   

I enjoy the discovery of new information, whether it`s in the format of anatomical variations or what people's perspectives are. I also appreciate that every day is different, so the job never gets boring. I enjoy collaborating with healthcare workers as it provides further meaning for my research. I also enjoy teaching, especially postgraduate students and I learn a lot from them.

When you're not in the lab, library or in the field conducting research, what do you do to unwind?

Hiking (including multi-day hikes), scuba and free diving, playing with my cats, reading.   

How has the ECAD programme of SU contributed to your research career?     

The ECAD programme has enabled me to attend and present at conferences and has also funded my attendance at numerous courses that have assisted with developing my PhD proposal. It has also connected me with people who are also working and completing their PhD at the same time, providing a support structure.

What advice, if any, would you look to impart to future early career academics?

Don't take on too much at the start, you will want to do everything but focus on the priority areas (such as PhD completion, publications). Set aside an hour or two each day to work on your research. Look after your wellness.        

Connect with Kerri and her work!

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kerri-Keet-2